EI for Support Staff

A framework to ensure all support staff in schools (including bursars, maintenance, assistants, technicians, office staff, etc) have access to quality professional development and can help create a culture of continual improvement.

The Forgotten Cohort

As a major cog in how schools work it is surprising how little focus is given to this incredibly important cohort of professionals within the system.We looked at what the research and standards tells us about support staff around the world in education and other industries. We conducted workshops all around Australia with leaders, bursars, library staff, teaching aids, office staff, IT, and maintenance staff (to name a few) all getting an opportunity to have input into the framework. What we built was a best-practice framework for professional staff working in schools, which reflects the importance of their work.

Unique Approach

The EI For Support Staff framework is the only feedback framework in Australia designed to help Support Staff align themselves with best-practice.

Through the year support staff follow our behaviour change methodology.

1. Framework of best practice

Our framework for support staff was built by professional staff all around Australia.

2. 360 Feedback

Collect and reflect on feedback data. Feedback is collected from self-reflection, peers, supervisors, teachers, other staff.

3. Evidence based goals

Set a S.M.A.R.T. development goal. After reflecting on their feedback support staff come together to set a development goal and collaborate with each other.

4. Plan and track

In the EI GROW portal support staff can record reflections, activities they have tried, learnings from peers, and coaching/mentoring conversations. All this is recorded in a PD and achievement diary which can be printed and shared

5. Evalutate progress

Support Staff can, if they want, get progress feedback on the area they have been working on. A smaller set of surveys is used to get progress feedback. Support Staff can compare how they have progressed.

6. Repeat annually

We’ve made the process simple enough to use annually. Allowing your school to continually drive improvement.